Magnetic spoon for removing ferromagnetic particles from a medium



Feb 10 1 9 MAGNETIC SPO C- J- DOHNER 0N FOR REMovI 2 87 N PAITICLES FROM A /IEPISEIFITAOMAGNETIC 3,027

lled Aug 291v 1'955 IN VEN TOR.

CAROL J BY @.JfWMDL-.NER

United States t Il MAGNETIC SPOON FOR REMOVING FERtOh/IIAG-` Generally speaking, the present invention relates to the magnetic tool art, and, more particularly, it relates to a tool having a handle portion, an operative portion, and a shank portion connecting said handle portion and said operative portion, so designed as to be used as a tool for removing ferromagnetic material from a medium.

While applicant is siderable number of magnetic tools have been developed in the past, fewo-f theseare adaptable for removing ferromagneti-c materials `from a medium (solid, semisolid, partially liquid or liquid) and which also might be intended for oral ingesting or swallowing, such as in the case of a food medium, or the like, although not limited to food media.

It is further true that most prior art devices in the magnetic tool eld relate primarily to the removal of ferromagnetic particles fro-m machines, other tools, and the like and are not intended for the removal of ferromagnetic particles from within the medium.

Generally speaking, the magnetic spoon for removing particles from a medium of the present invention may include: a handle portion; an operative portion; and a shank portion connecting said handle portion and said operative portion; said operative portion comprising magnet means movably positionably cooperable with respect to a medium from which ferromagnetic material is to be removed and magnetically attractively retainingly cooperable with respect to said ferromagnetic material associated with said medium.

One preferred form of the present invention may comprise a stirring tool for removing ferromagnetic material from an at least partially liquid medium, said tool having a longitudinal handle portion, an operative portion (usually spoon-bowl-shaped), and a (usually longitudinal) shank portion connecting said handle portion and said operative portion. In a preferred form of the present invention, said operative portion may comprise permanent magnet means stirringly cooperable with respect to an at least partially liquid medium from which ferromagnetic material is to be removed and magnetically attractively retainingly cooperable with respect to said ferromagnetic material associated with said medium. In one preferred form of the invention, protective coating means may be carried by the exterior of said operative portion and said shank portion protecting same from chemical action (of the medium). In some forms, said protective coating means may be ferromagnetic and in some other forms it may also be magnetized.

With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic spoon for removing ferromagnetic particles from a medium, said spoon being of cheap, simple, novel, easy-to-operate and easyto-maintain construction capable of removing ferromagnetic materials from a solid, semi-solid, partially liquid or liquid medium, and which may also be intended for oral ingesting or swallowing, such as in the case of a food medium, or the like, although not limited to food media.

awareof the fact that a very cong within said media.

2,373,027 Patented Feb. l0, 1959 subsequently withdraw ferromagnetic particles from Other and allied objects will become apparent to those skilled in theA art after a` careful perusal, examination and study of theaccompanying illustrations, the present specification and the appended claims.

` To facilitate understanding, reference will be made to ythe hereinbelowV described drawings, in which:

v Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention with av portion of the protective coating broken away from the spoon-bowl;

Fig.v 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of the device shown in Fig. 1, taken in the direction of the arrows II Il in Fig, l; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, of aspect similar to Fig. 2, butillustrating a slight modication'of the invention wherein the magnetized metal of the spoonbowl, the shank and thehandle acts as its own protective coating in effect-also in this version, the fastening hole has been eliminated.

One preferred form.` of. the present invention is a stirring tool for removing particles of .ferromagnetic material fromrat least. partially 1iquid(usually food) medium adapted to be orally ingested, comprising: a longitudinal handle portion l usually provided with fastenable means 2 cooperable for mounting the tool with respect to an auxiliary fastening element (not shown) carried by an auxiliary support means (not shown, since it comprises no part of the present invention). In a preferred form of the present invention, the operative portion 3 is usually spoon-bowl-shaped, and is connected to said handle portion 1 by a longitudinal shank portion 4. Said operative portion 3 comprises (usually permanent) magnet means 5 stirringly cooperable with respect to an at least partially liquid food medium (not shown) adapted to be orally swallowed and from which ferromagnetic material is to be removed, and magnetically attractively retainingly cooperable with respect to said ferromagnetic material associated with said food medium. Usually included in the present invention, as illustrated in Figs. 1-2, is a protective coating means 6 carried by the exterior of said operative portion 3 (and in some forms, by the exterior of said shank portions 4 and said handle portion 1) protecting same from chemical action or corrosion-'such as the action of food acids or the like-on the operative portion and/or the shank portion, or such as oxidation of said portions. Said protective coating may be ferromagnetic, or may be magnetized. Said shank means 4 and/or said handle means 1 may also be magnetized and, in one preferred form of the present invention, the entire device may be magnetized. This is illustrated in Fig. 3, and indicated by primed reference numerals.

lt should be noted that the protective coating means 6 may take a variety of forms. One form might be a suitable plastic coating, or the like, applied to the exterior of the operative portion and/or the shank and handle portions, Vor it might comprise baked enamel (vitreous) fused to the exterior of the protected portions. This would be extremely effective for anti-corrosion purpose and as such baked enamel is usually white in color, it would also be effective for rendering visible any particles of ferromagnetic material attracted to the operative portion (and/ or the shank and handle portions, if they are magnetized), because of the visual contrast between the particles of said ferromagnetic material and the white nish.

Applicant is aware that the process of baking the enamel 4onto the exterior of the magnetic spoon (with the operative portion at least, and in some cases the shank described and illustrated herein are exemplary only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is to be interpreted in the light of the prior art and the appended claims only, with due consideration for the doctrine of equivalents.

I claim:

1. A stirring spoon comprising a longitudinal handle portion, a shank portion, and a bowl portion, said bowl portion comprising magnetic means for retaining and removing ferromagnetic particles from the material being stirred.

- 2. A stirring spo-on comprising7 a longitudinal handle However, the exterior protective coating may also be portion, a shank portion, and a bowl portion, said bowl portion comprising magnetic means for retaining and rea ferromagnetic material, but not permanently magnetized. This would allow the transmission of magnetic 15 moving ferromagnetic particles from the material being ux from the permanent magnet core 5 through said stirred, and a magnetic protective coating carried by the material to the exterior of the device. exterior of said bowl portion for protecting same from Numerous modifications and variations of the present chemical action,

invention will occur to those skilled in the art after a careful study hereof. All such, properly within the 20 basic spirit and scope of the present invention are inand/or handle portions being composed of A1nico, or the like) would require temperatures in excess of the Curie point which would therefore cause the magnetism vof the Alnicolto be attenuated; so, in this form, the enamel may be first fused onto the exterior of the 5 Alnico and then the Alnico material under the baked enamel finish may be magnetized.

It should also be noted that the protective coating may comprise an exterior coating of stainless steel or nickel, both of which are ferromagnetic and capable of 10 being magnetized, and both of which are relatively resistant to corrosion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS tended to be included and comprehended herein as fully as is specifically described, illustrated and claimed herein. 12851697 Hart NOV' 26 1918 The exact compositions, configurations, constructions, 1659162 RPCkft' Feb- 14, 1928 relative positionings, and cooperative relationships of the 25 214101844 Slgnalgo et al- NOV 12 .1945 various component parts of the present invention are not 2,552,330 Lamb May 8' 1951 critical, and can be modified substantially within the spirit of the present invention. FOREIGN PATENTS 16,776 Great Britain 1886 The embodiments of the present invention specifically 

